How does the state of the boardinghouse reflect the personalities of the characters in “The Birthday Party?” Discuss.
The Birthday Party is a notable literary work by Harold Pinter. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Birthday Party.
Answer
How does the state of the boardinghouse reflect the personalities of the characters in “The Birthday Party?” Discuss.
Harold Pinter’s (1930-2008) “The Birthday Party” (1957) takes place entirely inside a small seaside boardinghouse owned by Meg and Petey Boles. This setting may look ordinary and peaceful from the outside. But inside, it is full of confusion, fear, and silence. Pinter uses this strange, dark atmosphere of the house to show the emptiness, loneliness, and lack of communication among the characters.
The Boardinghouse: A Place of Isolation: The boardinghouse is small, dull, and isolated. It is never described as bright or cheerful. The curtains are always drawn. The rooms feel airless and trapped. This closed space mirrors the closed minds of the people inside. Meg and Petey live an ordinary life. They repeat the same routine every morning. They talk about cornflakes, tea, and newspapers.
“MEG. What are the cornflakes like, Stan?
STANLEY. Horrible.
MEG. You’re a liar, a little liar.”
Their dull life shows the lifelessness of the house. There is no joy, no movement, no change. The play even begins and ends with Petey and Meg at the breakfast table. The house becomes a symbol of boredom and emotional emptiness.
Meg’s World of Illusion: Meg loves her boardinghouse and treats it as her safe world. But her world is small and filled with childish dreams. She tries to make the place cheerful by taking care of Stanley. She says,
“I always take him up his cup of tea… I made him [drink tea]. I stood there till he did.”
However, this obsessive care shows her need to feel useful and valued in the house. But her idea of happiness is false. She cannot see the danger around her. Even after the birthday party turns into chaos when Stanley tries to strangle her in the darkness, she still believes,
“It was a lovely party. I haven’t laughed so much in years.”
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